Dr. Sam Van Holsbeeck completed his Bachelor of Bio-Medical Laboratory Technology at University College Ghent. Consecutively, he completed his Master of Science in Bioscience Engineering at Ghent University where he developed his passion and research interest for forests and trees while conducting his Master’s thesis in the savanna forests of northern Namibia. During his first year in Australia, he worked as a Research Assistant in forestry research for the University of Melbourne, Charles Darwin University, and the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) on a wide range of projects across Australia. In 2017, he started his PhD on “Determining the potential of forest biomass resources for bioenergy production in Queensland, Australia” at UniSC. In 2021, he became a Research Fellow at UniSC after completing his PhD. Subsequently, he remains an active researcher in the forest biomass-bioenergy space through various funded projects across niche biomass markets in Australia, including sandalwood plantations. Since 2021, Dr. Van Holsbeeck also took on a role as project manager for the Forest Pest Management (FPM) Research Consortium, where he continuously works with forest industry partners across Australia towards integrated weed, pest and disease management practices.